How Could This Happen to Me?
by wuteva4eva456
Summary: The whole group, now good friends, are seniors now and they're having a great year. That all abruptly changes after Gabriella, Troy, Taylor, Sharpay, and Chad are in a terrible car accident that forever alters their lives and ends one of their friend's.
1. Chapter 1

A/N-Hello everyone. This is my first "High School Musical" fanfiction, so be nice. I got this idea from a book I read called "Telling Christina Goodbye." It's not exactly the same so I hope the author won't sue me.

Summary-Gabriella and her friends are now seniors and have been having a great year…. so far. That all changes after Gabriella, Troy, Taylor, Sharpay, and Chad are in a terrible car accident that leaves Gabriella scarred physically and emotionally. Will she ever be able to get through it?

Chapter 1

"Taylor? Tay, where are you?" Gabriella Montez asked as she searched the bathroom stalls for her best friend, Taylor McKessie. She knew that Taylor was crying over her boyfriend, Chad.

"I-I'm in the th-third stall," Taylor called from her stall in between sobs.

Gabriella quickly turned and headed for the third stall in the large girls' bathroom. She then slipped into the unopened stall and looked at her crying friend.

"What happened Tay?" Gabriella asked her best friend of two years.

"Chad told me that I couldn't accept the scholarship to UCLA," she said as she wiped her tears with toilet paper.

"What! I can't believe that jerk. He actually _told _you that you _couldn't _go to UCLA? Omigosh. How dare he! That's your scholarship to accept, not---"

"Stop! You know how I hate it when you put him down. He's just so upset that he has to stay behind in community college to pull up his grades, while I got accepted to a big university," Taylor said angrily. She then got off the toilet and stepped past Gabi to the stall door. She opened it quickly and went to the sink to splash water on her face.

"I'm sorry. I know that you love Chad, but he doesn't have any right to do that to you. Its your life, not his."

Taylor went to get a towel as Gabriella was saying this. She then wiped her face with the stiff paper towel and said, "He loves me Gabi. He doesn't want us to be separated. Chad is the love of my life and I don't want to leave him. He wants me to stay and go to community college with him. I'm not sure what to do, though. My parents want me to go to UCLA, but Chad wants me to stay. What should I do? I love them both and I don't want to hurt either one."

Gabriella sadly looked at Taylor. She knew that she wanted to be with Chad, but he hurts her every time she starts to feel comfortable with him. She always claims that he's under stress or the basketball team is too demanding, but she knows that Chad doesn't care about Taylor the way she cares about him. He loves her, but not as much as Taylor loves him. She confided in Gabriella once that Chad hit her their junior year. Gabriella just about flew off the handle when she heard that one. She wanted to hunt down Chad and kill him, but instead she kept her friend's secret to not tell. A few weeks later, Gabriella saw a bruise on Taylor's arm while at a sleepover.

"_What happened?" Gabriella asked her._

"_It's nothing. Don't worry about it, okay?" _

"_It is too something," Gabi told her. "Did Chad hit you again?"_

"_No," Taylor said looking down at her feet._

"_Tell me the truth, Tay. I don't want you to get hurt! You're my best friend."_

Gabriella recalled how Taylor broke down and told Gabriella that Chad had grabbed her the night before and asked her to sleep with him. Taylor had told him no, but he advanced. She slapped him and he bruised her arm. Chad had tried to apologize but she left the party before he could do anything about it. Taylor eventually forgave him, but Gabi wasn't happy about it.

Gabriella then turned towards her friend and said, "You know how I feel about your college choices. You should go where you would excel the most. I think UCLA is the best place for you. You can get away from Chad for a while and then you can maybe meet a nice guy in Los An---"

"I don't think so," Taylor interrupted. "I'm not sure that I can ever love anyone but Chad."

Gabriella looked down, embarrassed. Taylor then said, "We should probably leave. We skipped all of 5th period and you know how Ms. Darbus gets.

"Yeah," Gabriella laughed. "We should get going."

They both left the bathroom joking about what Ms. Darbus would say if she knew that they had skipped.

A/N-What did you think? Well anyway. I'll try to update soon. Tonight at the soonest; tomorrow night at the latest.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N-Okay. I'm updating again. Thanks for reviewing!

Iluvhsm13-Thanks for reviewing. I know Chad is mean, but that's how the story has to flow.

Writer11bee-Thanks for the compliment! This isn't totally a Taylor/Chad fic, but there is some.

Megan is the shiz-thanks for the review. I'm glad you like this. Taylor is going to come to her senses soon.

Chapter 2

"She won't stop crying over him. Its like she _wants _to be hurt," Gabriella told her boyfriend, Troy Bolton. Gabriella and Troy have been dating for two years. She knew that Troy wouldn't like the fact that she was putting Chad down again, but she was just so upset about what Taylor was letting happen to herself.

"Gabi, it's Chad's business what happens in his relationship. What am I supposed to do? Tell him how to run his relationship?" He asked her as he paced his small room. Troy's room was covered in basketball awards from over the years. Gabi even noticed an award from when he was in Biddy Ball.

"No, I don't mean tell him how to run his relationship. I just thought that you could talk to him about feelings and love. Maybe even use our relationship as an example?" she suggested.

He sharply laughed and looked at Gabi as if she was joking. Troy saw her face narrow and glare at him as if to tell him to be careful what he says.

"Gabi, I'm not sure if that the way to go. You know how Chad gets. You saw how angry he got the last time I yelled at him for what he did to Taylor. Chad will just get angry again and flip out on Taylor again. He might even really hurt her bad. He hates to be told what to do. I'd feel like a total hypocrite if I told him how to run his relationship when I hate to be told how to handle you." He told her.

She narrowed her eyes again and said, "So that's what you're supposed to do with women? 'Handled' them?"

Troy saw his mistake and quickly said, "No! No, I don't mean that you should be handled. I meant how to treat you and stuff…and um…" He looked at her pleadingly.

Gabriella then broke out laughing. She got up from Troy's bed and went to where he was sitting on the floor and kissed him smack on the lips. He was surprised at first, but then he deepened the kiss. Soon they were making out and Troy tried to lift Gabriella's shirt.

"Wait," she said as she quickly stopped the kiss. Troy silently watched her get up and smooth out her fitted American Eagle tee.

"I'm not sure about this yet," she told him.

Troy then got up and tenderly reached for her hand, "Baby, I love you. I know you love me. Why can't we? I want you so bad. I know you want to wait till we're married, but I'm not sure I can wait that long. I don't want to wait until we graduate from college. That's four whole years away." He then brushed her wavy, dark hair out of her hair and whispered that he loved her. She melted in his arms then and he kissed her.

Just then, Gabriella's cell phone rang.

"Don't answer it," Troy whispered as he kissed her.

Gabriella broke the kiss and said, "Troy, it's probably my mom." She reached for her pink Razor and looked at the caller id.

"It's my mom," she said before opening it. "Hello? Hi mami. Omigosh! It's 11 already? It's past 11? Oh. Yes, I know it's a school night. Yes, mom. I know. Okay. I will. Buh Bye." Gabriella then shut her phone and put it into her small black purse.

"Gabs has to go?" Troy said to her as he pouted.

"Yes, Gabs has to leave," she said as she planted a kiss on his still pouted lips. "My mom just about flipped out when I wasn't home by 11."

"What time is it now?" Troy asked her.

She got out her phone again and checked the time. "11:42," she responded.

"Oh."

Gabriella gathered her purse and put her pink flip-flops on. She then said, "Bye, baby. I'll miss you. Will you miss me?"

"I don't know," Troy said coyly. "It depends on how long you'll be away." He then pulled her down to the carpeted floor and started to tickle her. She laughed and tickled him right were she knew he was ticklish at. He then said, "You're not playing nicely!" He proceeded to tickle Gabriella until her side hurt from laughing too much.

"Okay. Now I need to leave!" She said giddily as she got up from off the floor.

"No!" Troy told her and tried to pull her back down.

"Troy if you keep this up, then I'll never get home. And if I don't get home by midnight, then I won't be seeing you for a very long time," she responded coolly.

"Ahh," Troy pouted. "We don't want that now do we?" He watched as Gabriella once again got up.

"I love ya!" She smooched Troy. She stopped before she left and said, "Don't forget about talking to Chad, okay?" He then nodded to her and she left his room. She then jogged down his steps and told Troy's parents, who were sitting in the family room watching TV, goodnight.

Gabriella quickly ran to her small, red Honda and drove home.

A/N: I had more left to this chapter, but I decided to hold it off until next chapter. The third one will be very short, though.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you all like this story so much. I'll be updating more frequently, because I've already finished the 5th chapter. I'll be submitting the 4th tonight after working on the 6th. This is the short chapter. Enjoy!

As she was driving home she called Taylor on her cell, praying that her best friend would still be awake.

"Hello?" She heard Taylor say into her phone.

"Tay! Hey, it's Gabi," She told her friend.

"Hey Gabs. What's up?"

"I wanted to talk to you about Chad," Gabriella told her friend hesitantly.

"Gabi…please. I don't want to get into another fight about him."

"Taylor, I just talked to Troy. He thinks that Chad will hurt you again if Troy were to stand up to Chad," Gabriella responded.

"Honey, I've been thinking hard about this since our conversation. I'm not sure if Chad and I really have a…um…future," Taylor said almost sadly. "You see, I've thought about it for a long time, even before you talked to me about it. My guidance councilor asked me, when we were talking about colleges, to think about what I'd be in 5 years. I know he meant what profession, but then I started to think about whom I'd be with in 5 years. For some reason, I couldn't imagine myself with Chad."

Gabriella had just pulled into the driveway as Taylor was talking. She stopped dead when she heard what Taylor just said. "Excuse me? Did you just say that you didn't want to be with Chad anymore? Omigosh honey! You've finally come to your senses!"

"Hold on there Gabi," Taylor said sternly. "I said that I probably wouldn't be with him forever. That doesn't mean I don't want to be with him right now."

_Grrr,_ Gabriella thought. _And I was so close. _Gabriella stepped into her house and saw her mom sitting on the sofa reading her book. _Uh-oh,_ Gabriella thought.

"Tay," Gabriella said into her phone. "I've got to go." She hung up her phone as Taylor said a quick goodbye.

"You're late," her mother, Maria, said simply.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I lost track of time," Gabriella said quickly.

"Gabriella Rosario Montez! (A/N: I don't know if that's her middle name. I just made it up.) I'd understand that excuse if I hadn't of called you half an hour ago."

_Uh-oh, she used my full name,_ she thought. _I'm going to be grounded._

"You are grounded for a month, missy," her mother told her sternly.

_Wow,_ she thought. _I could be a psychic._

"Go upstairs to your room now," her mother told her. "Lets hope that staying out late won't effect your school work. You need to keep your grades up if you want to get into Stanford."

"I know, mami," Gabriella said. "Goodnight."

Gabriella slowly walked upstairs to her room. She knew that she couldn't argue her way out of being grounded. She learned from her early teen years to not argue with Mom's ruling, unless you wanted her grounding to be extended. She'd just have to serve her time.

A/N: Sorry about it being so short. I just didn't want the other chapter to be so long.

Katie


	4. Chapter 4

Hey everyone! Thanks for reviewing! This chapter is also pretty short, but I promise that the next one will be long!

Chapter 4

The next day at school as they were in the bathroom during their free period, Gabriella told her friend Sharpay all her worries about Taylor. Sharpay understood because she was also concerned for Taylor. She didn't want Taylor to be in a relationship like that.

"I just don't know what to do," Gabriella told Sharpay.

"Just be her friend," Sharpay replied. "That's all you can do. If she needs your help or Troy's, she'll tell you."

"Yeah, I guess," she said disappointed.

"Is there something else wrong, Gabi?" Sharpay asked.

Gabriella sighed. Sharpay had really turned out to be a great friend after Gabriella had transferred to East High. She wasn't the diva that everyone thought she was. Deep down, Sharpay was totally down to earth. She was just acting like a diva to get a little attention. Her home life wasn't all that great at the time. Her parents were virtually ignoring her and her twin, Ryan. It was better now, because her parents are now trying to be normal parents. Also, Sharpay doesn't want as much attention because Zeke, her boyfriend, gives her plenty of it.

"I got grounded last night," Gabriella responded to Sharpay's question.

"Really? Why?" Sharpay asked her friend.

"I was late getting home from Troy's."

"Oh," Sharpay said.

"Yeah. My mom totally flipped out, so I'm grounded for a month."

"Wow. Parents can be harsh sometimes."

"Tell me about it."

"Will you still be able to go to the championship game at West next week?" Sharpay asked.

"Omigosh! I completely spaced about that!" Gabriella exclaimed. "I don't know if my mom will let me go!"

"You could sneak out," Sharpay suggested.

"Oh no. I couldn't do that. My mom would then go totally mental on me."

"Does your mom still have that boyfriend of hers?" Sharpay asked.

"Yeah, she and Liam are still going out. Why?"

"Do you know when they are going out again?"

"Friday," she responded. "Why do you ask?"

"Well…" Sharpay said slyly. "While she's out, you could go to the game and she'd never know you were gone."

"Are you kidding me?" Gabrielle exclaimed. "Do you know how much trouble I'd be in if I got caught?"

"_If_ you get caught."

"Well…I don't know. If you guys promise to have me home by midnight, then I'll go!"

"Deal!"

"Okay," Gabriella replied.

"And while we're at the game, we can get Taylor to drop Chad!" Sharpay added excitedly.

"Um…okay," Gabriella added hesitantly. Just then the bell for the next period rang.

They then left the bathroom and went to their next period.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hey everyone! I finally have a long chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 5

The next Friday, Gabriella was excitedly getting ready for the championship game. She tried asking her mom for permission to go, but her mom refused. Gabriella tried not to look too disappointed because she didn't want her mom to catch on that she really wanted to go.

Gabriella looked at herself in her full-length bedroom mirror. She looked great. She kept her dark, curly hair down in its natural curls. She had on light pink eye shadow and she'd dabbed on some mascara and eyeliner. Gabriella wore a white hoodie that said Abercrombie & Fitch on it with a grey tee under it and a pair of jeans. She also wore a pair of cute ballet shoes she had got from Target last month. She then grabbed her pink Razor from her nightstand and slipped it into her black handbag. She then grabbed her black handbag and started down her stairs.

Her mother had left about an hour ago. She wouldn't be back until about 12:30. If Gabriella left by 11:30 and got home by 12:00 she would have enough time to get ready for bed and go to sleep before her mother got home.

The game would start at 8 and it was 7:24 right now. Her friends should be there any minute. So to pass the time by, Gabriella decided to flip through channels. She finally had settled on a new episode of Degrassi: The Next Generation, when her doorbell rang. Gabriella quickly got up, grabbed her handbag, and walked out of her front door.

Taylor and Sharpay greeted her at the door, while Chad and Troy were sitting in the car. She quickly looked her door and then went to Chad's black Nissan. She then got into the spacious back seat with Taylor and Sharpay. Chad then took off.

It seemed to take forever to get to West High School, even though it was only about 30 minutes away. When they finally got there and got settled in the gym, tip off had started.

"Are you guys upset that you didn't get to the championship game, while the JV did?" Sharpay asked Chad and Troy.

"Nah," Troy said nonchalant. "We already got our championship. I wouldn't want to press my luck twice."

"Are you kidding man?" Chad said to Troy. "I was mad as hell that we didn't go to the championship. We could have beaten North if we had the stamina. We were just too damn uncaring about the whole thing."

"Chad, it's over with, baby. Don't worry about it anymore," Taylor told him.

Chad had seemed to let it go. They watched the game in peace until the first half ended. Then everyone went out into the hall towards the concession stand and bathrooms. All the girls went into the bathroom to reapply makeup and talk.

"So, did your mom suspect at all?" Taylor asked Gabriella.

"Nope. She was too busy getting ready to notice that I was doing the same thing."

"Well that's good," Sharpay said.

"Yeah," Gabriella said. "I'm glad too because if she did then---."

"What the hell did you just say to me!" they heard someone yell from the hall.

The girls quickly gathered up their purses and ran out of the bathroom to see what was going on. They then saw the scene. Chad was the one who had yelled. He looked majorly pissed off about something.

"Didn't ya hear me dick-head? I just told ya what you already know," some guy told Chad.

"You got some nerve telling me something like that!" Chad told him as he pushed him.

The guy had on a West High letter jacket. So Gabriella assumed that he was a West basketball player.

The West player pushed Chad back. The guy outweighed Chad by about 20 pounds, but Chad didn't care. He kept pushing. Taylor yelled at him to stop, but Chad wouldn't listen as usual. The West player then said, "I bet your girlfriend could fight better then you." That really made Chad mad, so he punched the West player right in the jaw. Troy and another West High player then tried to break them apart, but not before the West player punched Chad's nose. Troy dragged Chad back before he could swing at him again. Troy led him outside to help him cool off. Taylor, Gabriella, and Sharpay followed them.

"I could have kicked his ass, Troy!" Chad yelled.

"I know, Chad, but right now you need to cool down."

Just then a security guard came out and told them not to come back in, or else they'd have to call the police. He told them that someone could go in really fast to get their stuff, but then they all had to leave. Sharpay went to get their stuff, while Taylor decided to question Chad.

"What the hell were you thinking Chad Danforth?" She asked him. "You just got us kicked out. Way to go!"

"Hey, I was defending your ass, Taylor!" he screamed back at her.

"How were you defending me? By humiliating me?"

"No, the guy was talking shit about you, so I had to shut him up."

"What was he saying about me?"

"Nothing, never mind."

"Tell me! What was so bad that he said about me?"

"I said never mind, Taylor!"

"You always do this," Taylor yelled at him. Gabriella was sure the whole parking lot could hear the fight. "You never tell me what is really going on."

"Yes, I do."

"No, you don't!"

"Whatever," Chad said as he unlocked his car and got into it. "I'm ready to leave. Ya'll coming or not?"

Before they could answer Sharpay came running back with all their stuff. Gabrielle already had her hoodie and her purse so Sharpay didn't have any of her stuff.

They all then got into the car and sped off. The car was silent until they got on the highway. Taylor started the fight back up with Chad so the rest of the car was forced to listen to their squabble.

"Just tell me!" Taylor shouted at Chad. She was sitting right next to him. Gabriella didn't see the need to yell at him. She was huddled up next to Troy in the backseat. Troy was absent-mindedly stroking Gabriella's hair. Sharpay was silently looking out the window, trying hard to ignore the argument.

"Alright," Chad said. "He said that you had slept with him last year after the East/West game." Gabriella couldn't really believe that Chad had just said that. She was sure that Taylor would never, ever do that to Chad. She would never cheat on him.

"What?" Taylor yelled. "Did you believe him?"

"Um…"

"Did you?" She yelled back.

"Yes, I did believe him for a second. That's why I flipped out."

"You know I wouldn't do anything like that don't you?" She looked at him pleadingly. Gabriella hoped that she would just drop the fight. Chad was losing focus on the road. It was dark out so he couldn't see very well. Everyone knew that Chad had failed driver's ed about 5 times before finally getting his license.

"Umm…" he said looking over to Taylor confusingly. Gabriella saw it coming. Chad had shift the wheel with his left arm as he was turning to look at Taylor. Gabriella grabbed onto Troy's arm.

"Chad!" Taylor shouted. "Watch the r----"

Gabriella watched Chad try to spin the wheels around but it was too late. They were heading straight into the ditch. She grabbed onto Troy harder, but suddenly everything went black.

A/N: I know. Cliffhangers. We all hate them, but they make the story seem so much more exciting! I should have the next chapter in tonight. 


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed! I'm glad I'm getting such positive feedback! Here's the next chapter.

Chapter 6

Gabriella slowly woke up to find herself lying in a dark ditch. Something was on top of her, but she couldn't figure out what. She tried to push it up off of her, but it wouldn't budge.

_What ever it was, it was heavy,_ she thought to herself.

She looked around and saw Chad's car to her right. It was upside-down and completely destroyed. All the windows were broken and the right side of Chad's car was smashed in. She tried turning to look for Sharpay and Taylor, but she didn't see them.

_Omigosh_, she thought to herself. _Where are they? Where is Troy?_

Gabriella then tried once again to get up, but the object on her would not budge. She looked at it more closely. She realized what it was---or rather, who it was.

"Troy!" She screamed her boyfriend. "Troy, honey, please! Wake up!" She tried nudging him and pushing him, but he wouldn't stir. Omigosh, she thought to herself again. He won't wake up! I've got to go get him help!

With all her strength she pushed Troy off of her. She then tried to get up, but when she put her weight on her left leg, it hurt so badly. She let herself fall back onto the cold dirt ground. Gabriella took a deep breath and convinced herself to get back up. She wanted to do it for Troy. She needed to get Troy help. She then put all her weight on her right leg and used her arms to get herself up. She limped up the ditch, but she fell halfway up. She didn't fall far so she got herself back up and half walked, half crawled up the ditch. When she got to the highway she limped out into the middle of the road and waved her arms pleadingly at the car coming at her. The car slammed on its brakes and parked at the side of the road. The person, a man in his 40's, got out of his car and rushed over to the bleeding Gabriella.

"Are you alright?" the man asked Gabriella with concern.

"No," she responded desperately. "I need help, now! My boyfriend and friends are down there and they need help! Please, you've got to get some help! He's hurt badly."

The man looked at her full of compassion and told her to calm down or else she'd hurt herself. Gabriella was already hurt badly. She had a heavy cut coming from her forehead, she had scratches all over her face and arms, and her leg was probably broken.

The man called 911 and told the ambulance the location and what was going on. He then handed his phone to Gabriella and went down into the ditch to see if he could help.

"What is your name?" the 911 operator asked Gabriella.

"Gabriella Montez," she responded into the cell phone.

"Are you hurt badly?"

"Um…I think so. My leg hurts, I think it is broken," she said as she felt around to see if anything else was broken.

"Uh-huh. Anything else? Is your head okay? Are you dizzy? Can you see straight?"

"I am a little dizzy," she admitted.

"Okay. I think you should sit down then." Gabriella looked around. She wasn't feeling too well at all. She just wanted to lie down. She looked for a place to lie. She wasn't really sure if she should just lie on a highway. Gabriella started to feel lightheaded.

She stumbled to the side of the road and then started, "W-where sh-should I---"

Gabriella stumbled back and hit the highway pavement hard. Everything went completely black after that.

A/N: That last line rhymed. Lol and I rhymed again. Black, that. Line, rhyme. Ha ha. Sorry, this chapter was short again. I hate it when that happens. I always give short chapters, and then I make a humongerous one like the last chapter.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Hi everyone. I'm now going to right about the hospital and everyone's conditions. I hope you all like it, well…you don't have to like what happens to the characters, but I hope you like how I wrote it!

Chapter 7

Gabrielle slowly awoke to find herself in a bright room. She tried to get up, but she suddenly felt tremendous pain. It felt like a bus had hit her. She wondered why she was here, but then it slowly came back to her. Getting kicked out of the game, Chad and Taylor fighting, the accident, and…Troy. Where was Troy? She had to find him. Once again she tried to get up, but just then an orderly came in and tried to hold her down.

"No!" she fought. "I have to find Troy!"

"Troy? Who's Troy, sweetie?" the orderly asked. Gabriella then relaxed, because she was relived that someone would listen to her.

"M-my boyfriend," she answered softly. "I need to find him!"

The orderly looked at her full of pity and said, "Alright. I'll help you find him. Tell me his last name, and I'll go to the front desk and ask them his room number."

Just then the doctor came in followed by a nurse. The orderly excused herself and went disappeared into the hallway. The doctor looked at Gabriella and said, "Hello, young lady. I'm Dr. Walker. Do you know where you are?"

_I wonder where I am?_ She thought sarcastically to herself. _A place with doctors and nurses everywhere and a big white room with IV's and monitors._

"I'm in the hospital," she said stiffly.

"Right. Do you remember how you got here?" The young doctor, Gabriella guessed was in his mid-30's, asked her.

"I was in a car accident," she responded. "When can I see my friends?"

"Hold on. You have been hurt badly. We'll discuss when you can get up and about later," Dr. Walker responded.

"How badly am I hurt?" Gabriella asked confusedly. She wasn't in much pain anywhere other then her head.

"You suffered a mild concussion while in the car accident, but when you passed out on the highway, you made your concussion worse," he said trying hard to dumb it down for her. He knew that she was probably having a hard time processing all of this. She was just in a serious wreck. "You also broke your left leg and you've got some glass imbedded into your face. We'll have to take care of that soon."

"Where is my mom?" Gabriella asked hesitantly. She wasn't sure how her mom would react to this.

"She's in the waiting room right now," the nurse answered her. "Would you like me to get her for you?"

"Yes, if you could," she answered politely.

"Alright," the nurse said as she went into the hallway.

"Gabriella," Gabriella looked up quickly. She forgot Dr. Walker was still there. He then said to her, "I am going to give you something for the pain in your head. Then in about 20 minutes, I'll come back and give you something to help you sleep, alright?"

"Okay," Gabriella responded as the doctor left the room. She tried to process everything. The last thing she remembered before passing out on the highway, was calling 911 for help. Now she was in the hospital. She had a concussion and a broken leg. The doctor also said something about her face having glass in it. Gabriella looked around trying to find a mirror. She swung her legs off the hospital bed an tried to get up, but she ended up falling. Her left leg felt numb. She realized that they had probably given her something to ease the pain. She tried to grab onto the bedside nightstand, but it turned out to be a roller desk and she slipped and fell again.

"Gabriella!" she heard someone exclaim from the open doorway. She looked up and saw her mother's tear strained face. Her mom raced over to her and helped her get up. While her mother was helping her, Gabriella heard her say Spanish curse words under her breath.

"Gabriella, what were you doing?" her mother asked her when she was settled into her bed.

"I was trying to find a mirror. I want to see my face," she told her mother. Suddenly, her mother lost all control. She started crying. Gabriella was so confused. "Mami! Mami! I want to see my face. Let me see it!"

Her mother chokingly said to her, "No, you aren't ready! I don't want you to see it."

"Is it that bad, Mama? Please. I will see it eventually! Just let me see it."

Her mother looked at her daughter as a silent tear slid down her face. She slowly lifted up the flap to her brown purse and pulled out a compact mirror. She reluctantly gave it to her daughter.

Gabriella looked into the mirror at her reflection. Her face was swollen and bloody. She looked like she had been hit with a baseball bat several times. Her eye was puffy and blue. She looked horrible. She shoved the mirror away and looked at her mother. Together they cried for a while. After crying for about 5 minutes over Gabriella's appearance (**A/N: I know. It sounds so vain, but I'd cry too if I looked that bad!)**, Gabriella looked up and asked her mother about her friends.Her mother broke down with fresh tears in her eyes and looked at Gabriella.

"I'll tell you tomorrow, honey. You've had too much trauma today," her mother, Maria, replied.

"No! Mami! Tell me now! What happened to everyone? Are they hurt badly?"

Her mother looked down and cried in her hands. She looked back up at her daughter. _She needs to know_, Maria thought to herself.

"Sweetheart, I'll start with Chad," she replied painfully. "Gabi, Chad was lucky. He had on his seatbelt and he suffered minor injuries. He broke his arm and he has a few cuts and bruises, but other then that, he's fine."

Gabriella smiled to herself. At least Chad was okay for Taylor's sake.

Maria then started up again, "Sweetheart, Sharpay suffered spinal injury and she is in surgery right now. They aren't sure if she'll ever walk again."

Gabriella stared at her mother. She couldn't believe it! Sharpay might never walk again! Not Sharpay. Sharpay didn't deserve that. Poor Ryan! She couldn't imagine what he was going through.

Gabriella then asked, "What about Taylor and Troy, Mami?"

She saw her mother's face sadden. "Gabriella, Troy is in a coma. They don't know if he'll ever wake up. I'm so sorry sweetie!"

Gabriella suddenly broke down. She couldn't believe it. The love of her life was in a coma and he might not wake up. It was like he was dead. She suddenly thought about his parents. What was going through their minds?

Maria then spoke up, "Honey, that's enough for today. I'll tell you more later."

"No! Mom, you have to tell me about Taylor! What's wrong with Taylor?"

Her mother looked at her sadly. Gabriella knew what she was going to say. She just didn't want to admit it to herself.

"Gabi, Taylor died on impact," her mother said through tears.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Sorry for not updating for a while. I have been really busy. So here is the story!

Chapter 8

"Gabi, Taylor died on impact," her mother said through tears.

Gabriella felt her whole world come crashing down. For a second she felt like she was going to die too. Taylor was her best friend. She couldn't be dead. She was only 17 years old! Taylor couldn't be dead. She just couldn't.

"Gabi, I'm so sorry!" her mother said interrupting Gabriella's thoughts. Gabriella looked up at her mother slowly. Her mom was crying softly.

"Mom," Gabriella said softly. "I think I want to be alone."

Maria looked at her daughter worriedly. She wasn't sure if she should leave Gabriella alone, especially after she heard the news about her friends. But she obeyed her daughter's wishes and reluctantly left the small white room.

After her mother left, Gabriella started to cry softly. She cried for Taylor, her best friend. She cried for Troy, the love of her life. She cried for Chad, because he lost _his_ only love. She cried for Sharpay, for she might never be able to walk again. Finally, she cried for herself. Gabriella cried until she thought she could no longer cry. She was so exhausted, but she couldn't get to sleep. So she just lied in bed thinking.

She thought about her best friend. Taylor was so full of life and she had so much to live for. She still had to go to their end-of-year dance. Gabriella and Troy were double dating with Taylor and Chad for the dance. They were going to go together in a rented, black limo that Troy and Chad's parents paid for. Taylor had bought this amazing pink-laced dress. Gabriella remembered when she went with Taylor to buy it. Taylor had said that it would "rock Chad's world" when he saw it. _He'd never be able to see her in it_, she thought bitterly to herself. Just when she thought that she couldn't cry anymore, she started to cry again. She was so afraid. She was afraid for what would come ahead. Gabriella didn't know how Sharpay or Chad would react to this. She wasn't sure what Chad would do without Taylor. He loved her. Despite what Gabriella thought about their relationship, Chad truly loved Taylor. She couldn't help but think bitterly that Chad got his wish about Taylor not going to UCLA. She was never going to be able to accept her scholarship. Gabriella continued to cry.

HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM

"Gabi? Gabriella, are you awake?"

Gabriella woke up with a start when she heard the deep voice in the doorway. She looked over to the cracked door and saw Ryan peeking through it, looking at her. Gabriella mustered up a small smile and said, "Come in, Ryan."

Ryan stepped into the room and slowly made his way to Gabriella's hospital bed. He gave her a small smile as he sat down in the chair by her bed. He looked up at her slightly and said, "You know, I still can't believe that the hospital insists on keeping these rooms so cold!"

Gabriella lightly chuckled at Ryan's comment.

"When I asked for the nurse to turn the A/C down, she told me that it was hospital policy to keep the rooms a certain temperature. Something about keeping the IV's cool." (**A/N: I don't really know if that's the reason. I'm making it up. It sounds intelligent though, doesn't it?**)

"Yeah," Gabriella responded smiling at her friend. Ryan could be a little strange sometimes, but he was a great friend. He could always find the light in a dark situation. When Gabriella's great uncle died during his back surgery, he told her during lunch that her great uncle was probably in heaven now doing the limbo and having the time of his after-life. She chuckled at the memory, because Ryan had made her laugh so hard that milk spilled out of her nose.

She looked up at her friend. He gave her a weak smile. She couldn't return his smile though. She was worried about him and especially Sharpay. She gave him a pleading look. She knew that he understood what she wanted. He looked down again as if looking at her caused him pain. Some how everything didn't seem funny anymore. Ryan became dead serious and said to her, "Sharpay is paralyzed from the waist down," he said solemnly. He didn't look at her while he said it, but he looked up at her slowly and watched her reaction. Gabriella wouldn't react for a long while. She couldn't think or comprehend what Ryan said. Ryan looked down again slowly. He then started, "Gabriella, I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have said anything. You don't need this right now. I shouldn't have upset you anymore then you already---"

"Ryan, it's okay!" She interrupted he looked up at her surprised. "Ryan, you are in tremendous pain also. You don't have to be careful of my feelings, because I know you are feeling the same thing. We both love Sharpay. We can be upset. We have a right to be, Ryan!"

She realized that the last couple of lines were kind of harsh, but she didn't care. She just stared at Ryan fiercely trying to prove to him that she could handle everything. She was brave, too. Ryan looked back at her softly. He was surprised at how tough Gabriella was. She was handling a lot right now, but yet she was doing better then Ryan was. Inside, it was tearing him apart. Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore. He broke down and started to cry. Gabriella stretched herself out and embraced her sobbing friend. They cried together in each other's arms for a long time. They were crying for so many different reasons. Much of it was from all the stress from the whole accident.

Finally, Ryan broke away from their embrace and said he had to go. Gabriella told Ryan that it was okay for him to crash in her room for the night, but he said that he had to get back to Sharpay. He got up and left her. She was alone again. She couldn't bear the aloneness. She wanted to get out of this room. She hated how the walls were so white and everything was so clean. It was just too damn perfect. Nothing was perfect. Nothing would ever be perfect for Gabriella again. She had to get away from this. Gabriella slowly got out of her bed and grabbed her IV rod. She walked towards the door and left the room. She walked down the hallway towards the nurses' station. She was going to find Troy.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Hey everyone. I changed my PenName to oOMissSoarinEagle2010Oo, just to give ya'll a heads up. Any way. Some of you were wondering if this is a Troyella story. I'm not sure yet. I'm going to decide while writing this chapter. So, you'll find out soon enough!

Chapter 9

_Room 208_, Gabriella thought to herself as she was wheeling herself down the hospital hallway. _Where is room 208_? She was trying to find Troy's room. The nurse at the nurse station told her his room number and how to get there, but Gabriella had already forgotten how to get there. Luckily, a hospital orderly showed her where to go. She was on the second floor looking for her boyfriend. She knew that he was still in ICU (Intensive Care Unit), because he was in a coma. Gabriella had been transferred to her own room the night of the accident because she wasn't in as bad of a condition as her friends.

_Room 204_, she thought to herself as she passed the heavy wooden door. She had to find room 208. She continued to wheel herself down the long white hallway clutching her IV rod that was connected to her chair as she glanced quickly at the room numbers plastered onto the heavy doors.

She finally found room 208. The door was closed so she knocked lightly on the door. There was no answer. Gabriella again knocked on the door, only a little bit harder. _The doors are heavy_, she thought to herself. _Maybe they can't hear me_. She had assumed that Troy's parents were in there, and they'd answer her knock.

She waited for a little bit longer. No answer.

_I'm not going back to my room until I see Troy_, she thought forcefully to herself.

She grabbed the large handle to the door with both her tiny hands and swung open the heavy door.

She looked around the room trying to find Troy's parents but they weren't there. All she saw was an empty bed nearest to the door and a closed blue curtain on the other end to separate the two beds. Gabriella took a huge breath and she wheeled herself over to the other side of the hospital room. She went around the curtain and saw a strange sight. Gabriella saw her boyfriend of 2 years, lying in a bed, motionless. She was taken back by the sight, because Troy was always moving. He was always doing something. Even when Troy was sitting down he'd have a basketball or something in his hands and playing with it.

Gabriella wheeled herself around the bed to Troy's side. She looked at Troy closely. He was pretty bruised up. He had a cut right above his eye and a swollen lip. His eyes had dark circles under them and he was very pale. She touched his hand lightly and looked at his fingers. She saw that his fingers were filthy. They had dirt underneath his fingernails and dirt on his hands. Gabriella realized that he must have gotten dirty when he was thrown from the car. She grabbed his hand and laced her fingers in between his. She picked up his hand and held it towards her face. She didn't care if her face got dirty because she loved him. She just wanted to feel his hand on her face again, like he did that night at house so long ago. Gabriella realized that that night was only last week.

_Everything was so right only a week ago_, she thought to herself. _Now everything is so wrong. Taylor's dead, Troy's in a coma, and Sharpay can never walk again_. She didn't care about Chad anymore. _This was all Chad's fault_, she thought to herself bitterly._ He took Taylor and Troy away from me! He took away Sharpay's ability to walk. It was his fault! He deserved to go to jail for it! I'm going to see to it that he pays. He's going to pay for---_

"Gabriella?" a voice said from behind her. She turned around slightly and saw Sharpay and a nurse behind her pushing her wheelchair towards Gabriella.

"Sharpay," Gabriella looked at her friend. Her face had a few cuts and bruises there, but other then that she looked alright physically. _Except for the fact that she was in a wheelchair, she was fine,_ Gabriella thought to herself miserably.

Gabriella tenderly got up from her chair and limped over to Sharpay's wheelchair and hugged her friend. She watched the nurse turn around and give her a look. The nurse said, "I'll by back for you in 20 minutes, Miss Evans. Alright?"

"Okay," Sharpay responded not bothering to turn towards the nurse when she said it. Gabriella let go of Sharpay and limped back to her wheelchair.

"How are you doing?" Gabriella asked Sharpay quietly.

Sharpay looked at her and smiled lightly. "I'm doing better. I've been crying more in the past days then I have in all of my life, though."

"Yeah," Gabriella responded thoughtfully. "I understand what you mean. I've been crying a lot these past few days I've been in the hospital." They both just stared at Troy for a long time. Gabriella tried to force Troy to wake up by her thoughts, but it wasn't working. She just sighed and fell back into her wheelchair in defeat. She wished that everything could just be automatically better.

"I hate this," Gabriella sharply looked up at Sharpay who was on the brink of tears. "I hate how everyone is hurting like this. Taylor should still be alive. Troy should be awake. You should be out of the hospital and enjoying your life. And…I-I shouldn't be in a goddamned chair!"

Sharpay bowed her head and cried in her hands in frustration. Gabriella again got up and embraced her distressed friend. Sharpay wrapped her skinny arms around Gabriella's neck and they cried together. Gabriella felt for Sharpay. She'd never be able to be the Broadway star that she wanted to be if she was in a wheelchair. She couldn't do so many things now. She couldn't dance or run or doing anything without a wheelchair.

"Sharpay," Gabriella said softly when they were done crying. "Are you going to be alright?"

Sharpay let go of Gabriella and watched as she limped back to her chair. "I'll be fine," she said slowly. "How are you holding up? I think you are the worst off emotionally. Taylor was your best friend and Troy is your boyfriend. You have no one now."

"I have you don't I?" Gabriella responded with a light smile. Sharpay gave her a half smile back. Their smiles faded and Gabriella said, "It's been really hard," she responded honestly. "I just can't stop crying. When Ryan came by, I just went into an emotional fit. We cried and cried until we couldn't cry any longer. I hate crying. I feel so weak and helpless when I cry. I cried mostly over Taylor. There were so many things that she won't be able to experience. She won't get married or have children or become a famous scientist. She's dead. She'll never be able to do any of it."

Gabriella gave out a slight whimper when she was done. She looked up at Sharpay and saw that she was crying also. Sharpay responded, "I know. I thought about that too. I just can't believe that this is happening. Why did this happen, Gabriella? Why did this happen to us? What did any of us do to deserve…" She looked at Troy sorrowfully and finished, "this."

Gabriella and Sharpay looked down into their laps spontaneously. She didn't know how to respond. They just sat there with more questions unanswered. She doubted if they would ever get answered.

Gabriella looked at her and said, "I know how you feel. I hate that this had to happen. I wish it didn't but it did. I also wish Chad wouldn't have done what he did. I just wonder why Chad couldn't have just watched the road. He wouldn't listen to Taylor. He just kept doing what he does best: ignore. Look where that got him. Where it got _us_!"

Sharpay looked up. "Do you want him to go to jail?" she asked suddenly.

"I don't know. After all he did cause the accident. Someone _died_ because of him," she said quickly. She instantly regretted it. She wasn't sure that Sharpay needed to hear her ramble on about whose fault it was.

Just then the nurse came back and said, "Time to go, Miss Evans."

Sharpay looked at Gabriella and said, "Bye,"

Gabriella lightly said, "Good-bye."


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Hey everyone. I can't believe that some of you are crying because of this story. It kind of makes me feel good that my work moves people to tears. Well…it's not good that you cried…oh never mind. You get the point. Anyway, here's the next chappie. I hope you all like it!

Chapter 10

After another day in the hospital, Gabriella went home. It was a Saturday so her mother was off. Her mother tried her hardest to help and care for Gabriella, but she really didn't want her mother to do anything for her. Gabriella just wanted to be alone. When she got home she limped up to her room and locked the door behind her. She also sort of locked herself away from the world.

Her room was the same. It was the same tidy room that she always had. The only difference was that it some how felt empty to her. She looked around it and saw her bulletin board. There were about a dozen pictures of her, Troy, Chad, and Taylor. She looked them over. When she saw them she turned around and flung herself onto her bed. She started crying, again.

HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM

That Monday, Gabriella went back to school. Everyone was staring at her. She felt like all eyes were glaring at her broken leg and bruised face.

Gabriella went to her locker and started to do the combination. A girl by Gabriella's locker was talking to another girl. She knew that they were both cheerleaders because they had on the East High cheerleading uniform. She listened in to the conversation silently as she turned her combo.

"She was about to kill herself in the hospital when she learned that Troy was in a coma. The nurse stopped her before she could slash her wrists with a syringe."

Gabriella grumbled to herself. _Just ignore her_, she said to herself. She really didn't feel like confronting the girl.

"Too bad," she heard the other girl say. "I never really thought much of her. She was always really weird. She and that Taylor girl. Taylor was always so bitchy towards everyone! She'd act like she was so great just because she was smart. I'm not sure why Chad or Troy ever got involved with them."

"I've always hated Taylor. Ever since the 7th grade. She got me detention for sneaking in late. I'm glad I won't see her again!"

Gabriella got angry at that point. She turned to the girl and said, "Have you no decency? How dare you say that about Taylor! Her family has been through hell this week. She did not deserve to die! You two are the real bitches here!

"Whatever," the first girl said to Gabriella. "Why don't you just go kiss her if you love her so much."

The second girl rolled her eyes, "Lindsay, she can't!"

Gabriella felt herself get very warm with frustration. She grabbed the girl named Lindsay and slapped her right across her smug face. Before Lindsay could react her friend grabbed Gabriella and pinned her against the locker. Gabriella pushed her back with all her strength and Lindsay grabbed her and tried to slap her. Before she could hit her, a large hand grabbed Lindsay's wrist and roughly brought it down to her side. Lindsay stood there mouth agape.

A familiar voice said, "What the hell do you think your doing? She just got out of the hospital. Leave her the hell alone!"

Gabriella watched as the girls got their stuff together and left. She looked up and saw Chad holding her up with his unbroken hand by her arm. She snatched it away and said, "I could have handled it you know!"

Chad looked a little hurt when she snatched her arm out of his grasp. He then said, "From where I was standing you looked like you needed a little help."

"Well I didn't need it," Gabriella said as she grabbed her crutches. She made her way away from Chad. He didn't seem to get the hint so he followed.

"Hey Gabi," he said using her nickname. She paused in the corner of the hallway near the janitor's closet. She winced at that nickname. No one could call her that except for Taylor and Sharpay-her closest friends-, Troy, and her mom.

"What," she said as she turned around slightly annoyed.

"How are you doing?" he asked her awkwardly.

"Alright I guess," she responded as she shrugged. "How are you doing?" she asked politely even though she really didn't care how well he was doing.

"I'm not doing too well," he responded slowly. "The police might charge me with vehicular homicide. I don't know what to do! I don't want to go to jail!"

Gabriella looked at him softly. She really didn't know how she felt about him. He was one of her friends. He was Taylor's boyfriend. _Was_, she thought to herself miserably. _I'm going to have to get used to saying_ Taylor _and _was _in the same sentence_.

"I'm not sure what you should do. But all I know is that you better tell the truth. Because I am _not_ going to lie for you, Chad," her eyes softened and then she said, "Chad, was there something that you wanted to say to me?"

He looked down and said, "No, I was just hoping that you wouldn't be alienating me like Sharpay and Taylor's families are. No one will talk to me. Well, that's not true. Jason and Zeke will say a few things to me, but they aren't really supposed to. Kelsi and Sharpay don't want them talking to me." He paused and sighed to himself. Gabriella sort of felt sorry for him. She pulled him closer and gave him a stiff hug. It was sort of awkward at first because of her crutches and Chad's broken arm, but Chad tenderly put his broken arm and his uninjured arm around her and pulled her a little closer. He started to tear up a little bit. Gabriella had never seen him like this before. She felt so bad for him. They just held each other for a while in the hallway corner. She really didn't care about the bell that signaled that free period was over. She just felt obligated to comfort Chad.

"Gabriella?" she heard a voice say behind her. She turned still embracing Chad. Chad also turned to see who it was. Kelsi was standing there with Sharpay sitting beside her in her wheelchair. Gabriella let go of Chad and took a step back from him. Chad looked down. Gabriella smoothed out her shirt and smiled at Kelsi and Sharpay. Kelsi went over towards her and grabbed her arm firmly. Kelsi led her away and towards the bathroom as Sharpay wheeled herself behind them.

"What are you doing?" Kelsi asked Gabriella when they were finally able to have a private conversation.

"What do you mean what was I doing? I was giving him hug," she responded plainly.

Sharpay gave her a questioning look and said, "You just said on Friday that you thought he should go to jail, and now you are hugging the guy? He's a murderer, for Christ's sake!"

"Sharpay," Gabriella gave her stern look saying 'back off.'

"Gabriella," Kelsi said to her firmly. "He killed Taylor, Troy might never wake up because of him, and Sharpay is never going to walk again! This guy did this to your friends. And now you are going around and hugging the guy. Chad doesn't deserve any sympathy!"

"Kelsi," she said softly. "It was just a hug. We went through something horrible together. I deserve some comfort and so does he. Besides, he just rescued me from getting mauled by an evil cheerleader."

"What?" they both said together.

"I'll tell you guys later. I really do have to get to class now." With that Gabriella turned around and headed for the door. Kelsi and Sharpay followed and made their ways to their classrooms.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews. They mean a lot! I hope you all continue to read this story!

Chapter 11

The next day was Taylor's vigil visitation service at the mortuary. Gabriella wasn't sure what to do or wear, because she had only been to two vigil services before and that was her father's and her great uncle's. She didn't really remember her father's because he died when she was only 4 years old, and her great uncle's wasn't really a big deal because she really didn't know him. Taylor's was different. Taylor was Gabriella's best friend, and she was being remembered that night.

That Tuesday night, Maria and Gabriella got ready silently. Gabriella wasn't sure what to wear so she was tearing her room apart trying to find the perfect outfit. Finally she settled on a pair of tan slacks and a dark blue blouse. She swiped on some waterproof mascara, grabbed her crutches, and carefully went downstairs to the kitchen. Her mother was already down there, reading the newspaper silently. Gabriella saw that Taylor, Troy, Sharpay, Chad, and herself were on the front page. The headline said, "Teen Dies in Car Accident" the sub headline stated that a boy, Troy, was in a coma and a girl, Sharpay, was paralyzed.

Gabriella asked her mother if she could read the front page. Her mother looked at her silently and gave her a look. "I'm not sure if you should Gabi."

"Mom," Gabriella said firmly. "I need to see it. If I see it, then it will help me deal with this."

Maria just shook her head, but she silently put the paper down and carefully folded it. She gave it to Gabriella silently.

The page said:

Teen Dies in Car Accident 

One boy remains comatose and another girl is paralyzed.

**ALBUQUERQUE**- Five teenagers from East High were involved in a single car accident Friday night. One teenager is dead, two critically injured, and two others are being treated at Albuquerque General Hospital.

Taylor McKessie was fatally injured after she was thrown from the passenger seat of the car. McKessie's boyfriend, Chad Danforth, was driving the vehicle at the time of the accident.

Cara Bolton, mother of Troy Bolton, reported the status of the four other teenagers. Bolton, 18, received a concussion when he was ejected from the vehicle. He is currently comatose and it is uncertain whether he will fully recover. Sharpay Evans, 18, is paralyzed from the waist down as a result of damage to her spinal cord when she was ejected from the car. Gabriella Montez, 17, was treated and released Saturday for a minor concussion, a fractured leg, and imbedded glass in her face.

All, except for Danforth did not have their seat belts on at the time of impact and were thrown from the vehicle. The police are still investigating whether or not Danforth was driving recluse. Danforth and his family were unavailable for comments, but McKessie's mother spoke of her daughter as "ambitious" and "smart." She and her husband will allow any student of East High that was close to Taylor to come to her daughter's funeral. "I would like my daughter to be sent out surrounded by those who loved and appreciated her."

The principal will allow students to be excused from his or her classes Wednesday to attend the funeral.

That was it. Gabriella quickly turned to Taylor's obituary and looked at it. It said:

McKessie, Taylor-17, Went to be with her Lord and Savior Friday, February 3, 2006. Her vigil service will be tonight at 8:00 at All Faiths' Mortuary. Her funeral will be tomorrow at 11:00 AM at the First Christian Church of the Nazarene. Taylor was born on June 4, 1988 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She attended East High School and was on the Science Decathlon Team. She had many friends and was deeply loved. She is survived by her parents, Frank and Cecilia McKessie of Albuquerque. Her grandparents, Michael and Lisa Jones of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her grandfather, George McKessie of Los Vegas, Nevada, and numerous loving uncles, aunts, cousins, and friends. She was preceded in death by her grandmother, Natasha McKessie, and her aunt, Irene Moore.

Gabriella looked up at her mother when she was done reading. Her mother signaled that it was time to go. She looked at the digital clock on the stove. It was already 7:36 and it'd take about 10 minutes to get there, so they had to hurry. Gabriella quickly folded up the newspaper and put it on the counter. She grabbed her abandoned crutches and followed her mother to their SUV.

When they got to the mortuary, all the parking spaces were filled. She didn't realize that there would be that many people there. Maria asked if she wanted to be dropped off at the front while she parked but Gabriella didn't want that. She wanted her mother with her for support. They parked at a near by general store and went towards the mortuary.

When they got there, many people were gathered into small groups. Gabriella looked around and saw Sharpay, Ryan, their parents, and Taylor's parents talking. Ryan looked up and gave her a small hand wave. Gabriella maneuvered herself over towards the group with her mother following behind. When Gabriella got there Taylor's mother gave her a huge hug. Taylor's dad also gave her a warm embrace. Gabriella had always liked Taylor's parents. Whenever she went over to Taylor's house, her mother always greeted Gabriella with a warm smile and made them a snack to share. It was usually something healthy, like carrots with ranch dip. _Why am I thinking of what we snacked on?_ She asked herself abruptly.

"Would you like to see Taylor?" Mrs. McKessie asked Gabriella warmly.

Gabriella gave her a small nod, and Mrs. McKessie motioned for her to follow her.

The casket was in the front of the room. There were lights on the open casket, and as they drew nearer Gabriella could see the outline of Taylor. When they arrived at the side of the casket, Gabriella looked in at her friend. She was motionless and she wasn't breathing. Gabriella somehow expected her to be breathing normally, but she wasn't. Instead she just lay there silently. Her lips were positioned in a slight smile, but not a full smile.

"She's beautiful," Gabriella whispered. Mrs. McKessie nodded in reply. Both had tears in their eyes. Taylor was wearing a short-sleeved blue dress, which Gabriella recognized as the dress she wore to Chad's older sister's wedding. Her hair was silky, and smooth, just like she had worn it the night of the accident.

"You can touch her if you'd like," Mrs. McKessie told her gently. She demonstrated by stroking Taylor's hand. Gabriella reached out, uncertainly, and touched Taylor's cheek. She felt cold. Gabriella broke down then. She bent over and kissed Taylor's forehead and gave her an awkward hug. Taylor was her best friend. She didn't want to let go of her. She felt like she'd fall if she let go of her. Luckily, Mrs. McKessie put her hand on Gabriella's back and patted it. With her other hand she reached for her arm and held her up. She forced her to turn and, she gave her a hug. Mrs. McKessie then led her to her mother. Maria held Gabriella and led her to the back of the room and towards the door to get some air. Gabriella felt the gentle breeze on her refreshing. She went to sit on the bench beside the door. She took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. Her mother silently sat beside her and stroked her daughter's hair. She was grateful to her mother. She had been so understanding through this whole ordeal. Gabriella turned sideways and embraced her mother. They stayed that way for a few minutes until her mother broke the embrace.

"It's probably time to get back inside," she said to her daughter. "Are you ready?"

Gabriella looked away from her mother. She looked around and felt so at peace out here. She just wasn't ready to go back in yet. "I think I will stay outside for a few more minutes," she said quietly.

Her mother gave her a silent nod and turned and went back into the mortuary.

Gabriella looked around and watched the birds fly and she listened to the chirping of the crickets outside. Suddenly she heard a slight noise and turned around to see what it was. It was Chad.

"Chad, what are you doing?" Gabriella asked still stunned.

"I came to pay my respects," he said in a timid manner.

"Oh," Gabriella responded.

"My parents told me that I shouldn't go, because of all that happened. They don't want people to gossip about me," he said almost tiredly. "I have to be here though, Gabi. She was my girlfriend. I loved her. I can't just not be here and not be able to see her one last time."

Gabriella felt for him. She gave him a comforting look. "I understand. You do deserve to see her. You loved her."

Chad nodded and gave her a thankful look.

Just then Taylor's dad walked out the door and started, "Gabriella the service is—"

He stopped when he saw Chad. His face turned from tired and painful, to angry. "What the hell are you doing here? You murdered my daughter! You are the reason she is dead. Haven't we suffered enough, without you coming here and ruining everything? Leave! Now, before my wife sees you and becomes even more upset than she already is!"

With that Chad turned around and walked quickly to his car. He gave Gabriella a weak glance before he got into his dad's old truck.

"That oaf shouldn't even be driving!" He turned towards Gabriella and saw her horrified face. He then started, "Gabriella, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that in front of you. Please forgive me. I'm just so tired and grief has taken over me. Will you forgive me?"

Gabriella gave him a nod and quickly got up, grabbed her crutches and went nervously past Mr. McKessie. She had never seen him like that before. She was so scared when he said that to Chad, but yet she agreed with him. Chad didn't think about how his presence would affect Taylor's family, and he shouldn't be driving. Not after everything that has happened. She took her seat silently and listened to what was being said about Taylor. The minister asked if any friend would like to speak. Maria nudged Gabriella, but she didn't want to speak. Not after what had just happened outside. Maria nudged Gabriella again after the minister asked again if any friend would like to speak. Suddenly Gabriella felt compelled to speak out about her friend. Slowly she got up and maneuvered herself up the aisle. Stopping only when she saw her friend's casket. She slowly went past it and went towards the microphone. She took a big breath and looked out at all the people there. She then started.

"My name is Gabriella Montez. I was one of Taylor's friends. We have been best friends ever since I moved here my sophomore year," she paused and looked out at all the people. She knew what she had to say. She then looked down again.

"I was in the car with Taylor the night of the accident. I was one of the luckier ones and escaped with only minor injuries. When I started thinking about how I got so lucky, I couldn't answer it. Why was I lucky enough to live while my best friend didn't? I'm sure Sharpay, another one of Taylor's friends who was in the car that night, is asking the same question. If Troy was awake, then I'm sure he'd be asking himself why this happened also. But the one person who is suffering the most," Gabriella paused for a second before she said this. She knew that she would be upsetting Taylor's parents but it had to be said. She then finished, "is Chad Danforth." She watched Taylor's parents wince at the name. Kelsi gasped and Sharpay looked discussed.

Gabriella looked down again. "I know what you all are thinking. I don't mean to be scratching old wounds, but I bet that Chad Danforth is suffering so much right now. He killed his girlfriend by his own recklessness. He will have to live with that fact for the rest of his life." She looked out at all the faces in the room. She paused for a second and then continued.

"I remember that night, Taylor and Chad were fighting. It kills me to know that in her last moments, Taylor was upset over some pointless fight. Even at that moment, though, I know she was thinking how much Chad meant to her. She loved him with all her heart, even if they fought." Gabriella paused again. She felt like she was just talking to herself half the time. She spoke how she really felt. She wanted everyone to know the reality of the whole situation.

"I know that some of you feel that her life was short and uneventful, but in truth, it wasn't. She may have not been able to do many things like, vote, go to college, get married, or have children, but she lived a full life with loving parents and many friends. She was so in love with life. Every day was a great day for Taylor, even when she was in a bad mood, she'd be over it in a few minutes. Her life was very fulfilling and loving, no matter what anyone says, she lived her life to the fullest without looking back and that's what I loved about her. Just remember her life, not her death. Dwell on the life that she lived rather the way she died. Just remember that as you all are grieving."

She looked away and grabbed her crutches. She silently maneuvered herself back down the isle and went back to her seat. She felt everyone staring at her, but she didn't dare look up. The rest of the service was a blur. When it was over with, Gabriella went up to the casket and kissed her friend goodbye. She stepped back and looked at her friend for the last time. It truly hit her at that point. Her friend would never come back.

A/N: I know a long chapter, finally. It seemed sort of wordy, and rushed to me. Reviews would be nice. The next chapter will be the funeral.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Hey, everyone. I'm glad you all liked my last chapter. It wasn't too difficult to write, but after I reread it a couple of times I felt like crying. I was just writing it off of my feelings when my 17-year-old cousin died. He died about 2 months ago, so my family is still grieving him. Anyway, the whole thing with Troy having dirt under his fingernails and the half smile details, those were some of the things that I noticed at his visitation service. Oh and the All Faiths' Mortuary and the First Christian Church of the Nazarene are places in my hometown, so yeah I couldn't really think of anything original. Oh well. This story isn't very original because I got the idea from a book, but oh well. I'm done babbling. Here's the story.

Chapter 12

After the visitation at the mortuary, Gabriella and Maria went straight to the hospital to see Troy. Gabriella hadn't seen him since that Friday night, and she needed him, even if he wasn't awake.

When they reached the parking garage, Gabriella paused before she got out. She turned to her mother and said, "Mom, I never told you how sorry I was for sneaking out Friday. It was childish and irresponsible. I never should have done it."

Gabriella's mother looked at her full of compassion. "Sweetheart, you have suffered more in the past few days than I have my whole life. When your father died, I was devastated, but he was sick for a long time and it wasn't really that much of a let down like it is with Taylor," she paused and stroked Gabriella's cheek softly. "I was so proud of the way you spoke at the mortuary. You spoke with wisdom beyond your years. More importantly, you spoke from your heart. You opened people's eyes to what suffering and death is really about. You showed them that Chad is suffering also, and that is a great thing that you did. I know that you and Chad never did get along, but you did the right thing by defending him. I am proud of you."

Gabriella looked at her mom trying hard to blink away the tears forming in her eyes. She hugged her mom and she opened the car door, ready to face the world, more importantly, Troy.

HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMSHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM

When they got up to Troy's room they saw Mr. and Mrs. Bolton asleep in chairs at the end of his bed. They looked worn out. Maria slowly walked over to Troy's mom, Cara, and gently woke her. Cara woke up with a start and looked around. She saw Gabriella sitting in the chair by Troy's bedside. Cara Bolton looked over to her husband, Jack Bolton, and gently woke him up. He woke up gradually and looked around. His immediate response was, "Is Troy awake?"

Cara shook her head mournfully, and slowly got up. She looked over at Maria and said, "I think we should leave these two kids alone for a little bit. Besides, I think I need some coffee from the cafeteria. Come on, Jack." Cara motioned for her husband to follow her as he slowly got up from his chair. Maria followed them out the hospital door.

When they left, Gabriella softly said, "Troy, you've got to come back to me. This is just too hard to deal with without you. I need you to support me. I can't do this without you. I'll die if you couldn't be with me."

Gabriella tenderly laced her fingers through Troy's hand. She noticed that the nurses cleaned him up. She lightly stroked Troy's face with her free hand and murmured comforting things, not only for Troy, but for herself as well. She needed him. She tried to force him awake with her thoughts, but it wasn't working out.

"Troy, remember that night at your house. You pleaded with me to make love to you, but I wouldn't?" she asked him as if he was awake and alive. Silent tears streamed down her face as she choked out the rest, "I wish I would have," she finished brokenly. She broke down crying. Her sobs were so loud that she didn't hear the monitor slightly speeding up. She cried into his chest, just like she did that summer when her mom said that they might be moving again. She cried on him like she did when Chad's sister got married. She remembered Troy whispering to her that one day that would be them. She remembered how he put his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. She could almost feel it now. Strangely enough, she did feel it. Her heart started beating rapidly. She looked up immediately. There staring at her with piercing blue eclectic eyes, was her love, Troy Bolton.

"Troy!" she cried out as she bolted up in her seat. She kissed his cheeks and wouldn't stop. He looked stunned and pleasured at the same time. Gabriella looked up at him and he gave her his famous Troy Bolton grin. She planted a kiss squarely on his still smiling lips.

"You're awake! I can't believe it! Omigosh, Troy, I've missed you. Don't ever leave me again," she said as she hugged him tightly. He smiled at her slightly. Gabriella sat up in her chair and reached for the nurse's call button. She must have pressed it at least five times because she was so happy. She just smiled and smiled at her boyfriend. He must have thought she was going crazy, but she didn't care. She was just so happy to have Troy back.

A nurse rushed into the room and looked stunned at the scene. Gabriella was sitting next to Troy's bed holding his hand and grinning. Gabriella looked up and grinned at the nurse. The nurse rushed over and looked Troy over. She asked him how he felt.

"A-a little t-tired right now," he responded slowly. Gabriella continued to smile she just couldn't believe what had just happened. This was the best thing that had happened in days! Troy was awake and he was going to be all right! Gabriella was so happy that she could just dance. She was just about ready to do so, except for the fact that the nurse was right there, and she had a broken leg.

The nurse looked up at her and told her, "I need to do a few tests on Mr. Bolton, would you mind stepping out of the room for a bit?"

Gabriella nodded happily. She'd do just about anything if it meant that Troy would be able to go home. She gave Troy's hand a squeeze and kissed him before she reached for her crutches and left the room. When she got outside she danced about awkwardly while twirling around on her crutches. She was just so happy. Everyone in the hallway must have thought that she was nuts, but she didn't really give a hoot what anyone thought. _Troy was awake!_ She exclaimed to herself.

"Gabriella?" she heard a voice behind her ask. Gabriella twirled around and saw her mother, Jack, and Cara staring at her curiously.

"Troy's awake!" she exclaimed at the three adults. Soon everyone was screaming and hugging and crying. They all must have seemed like lunatics by the time they were done screaming. Maria gave Gabriella a huge hug, and Cara gave her a kiss on her forehead. Even Jack, who was usually not too keen on being sentimental, gave Gabriella a warm embrace. Gabriella bounced about on her crutches and on her unbroken leg. She was so excited. Soon enough, Troy's doctor came out smiling.

"Troy is doing excellent. I don't know what happened. It's a miracle that he doesn't have any memory loss or any permanent damage to his brain after all that trauma received from the accident. Troy should be up and about very soon. It is truly a miracle that has happened here today. I'm not sure what or who turned this around, but it must have been something or someone strong to overturn this. I must be honest with you; I didn't have much hope for Troy. I thought he would soon become brain dead, but that wasn't the case. I'm truly delighted. Troy should be able to go home in a couple of days if you'd like," the doctor told them excitedly.

"Thank you, Dr. Norman. Thank you so much for everything," Jack said as he shook Dr. Norman's hand ecstatically. They all turned and went straight into Troy's room. Cara reached him first and she kissed and hugged her son tightly. She held him so tight that Troy looked like he was going to go purple. She finally let go and Troy took a deep gasp and said, "I'm glad to see you too, Mom."

Everyone laughed and then it was Jack's turn. He gave his son a man-hug while he grinned and said, "It's great to have you back, son." Everyone was smiling. Maria gave Troy a small kiss on the cheek and whispered, "I'm so glad you are back. We all missed you something terrible." Everyone murmured in agreement. Finally Gabriella wrapped her arms around her boyfriend and kissed him. She was so happy.

"I missed you too, baby," Troy whispered to her. She sighed and melted. She loved him so much, and now he was back!

When all the commotion was over with, Troy looked around at everyone and said to Gabriella, "What happened to you?"

Everyone looked at Troy questionably. Gabriella wasn't sure what to say. Finally, Jack said it for her. "Troy, don't you remember the accident?"

Troy looked at his father with a puzzled look. "What accident?" he asked.

"Troy, you, Gabriella, Sharpay, Chad, and…" Cara paused for a few seconds and then finished, "Taylor. You all were in a car accident. Don't you remember? You went to the JV West and East High Basketball game, remember?" Troy paused for a second, and then a look of realization came over him.

"Oh!" he responded. "I remember. Chad got into a fight with that guy and got us kicked out. He and Taylor got into a fight and they fought the whole way home," he paused for a second and looked at Gabriella's face. It looked filled with pain and anguish, but he didn't understand why. "The last thing I remember was Taylor yelling for Chad to watch the road. I also remember the horn honking and a bright light. That's the last thing I remember other than looking down and seeing that I was on top of Gabriella." Troy looked at Gabriella and gave her a look. She saw that he had more that he needed to say to her.

Gabriella sighed. She was glad that he remembered everything.

"How badly did everyone get hurt? I see that Gabriella's leg is broken and I was like 'asleep' or something, but how is Chad, Taylor, and Sharpay? They were in the car also."

Everyone looked away sadly. They didn't know how to say this. Nobody spoke for the longest time. Everyone expected someone else to say it, but nobody wanted to. Gabriella especially didn't want to be the one to tell him. Maria realized that nobody was going to tell him, and when he asked again for the answer, she spoke up.

"Troy, sweetheart. I don't know how to tell you this, but you have to be told." Ms. Montez said to Troy. "I'll start with Chad. He suffered minor injuries and was released." Ms. Montez waited for his reaction, but Troy just nodded as if to go on. Maria started again, "Troy, Sharpay suffered spinal injury. The doctors performed a surgery to try to help her, but it didn't work. She's paralyzed, Troy. She'll be in a wheel chair for the rest of her life."

Troy looked down. He felt horrible. The Ice Queen, as Chad and he used to refer to her, would never be able to dance on Broadway. Troy never admitted this to anyone, but he always thought that Sharpay was a great dancer. She was a better dancer than a singer!

Troy looked up at Ms. Montez and said, "What's going on with Taylor? Is she okay?"

Maria and everyone looked down solemnly. "Sweetie, Taylor died the night of the accident," she said sorrowfully. She didn't look at Troy. She felt silly about this, but she couldn't face her daughter's boyfriend.

Troy looked at Gabriella to confirm this. He wasn't sure if he could believe Ms. Montez. He didn't _want _to believe her. Gabriella looked away sadly. She couldn't face Troy, but his blue eyes seemed to just bore into her. She finally looked at him, but when she did, she immediately broke down. Troy understood then, that Taylor had died. He bowed his head and he brought his hand up to cover his face. He mournfully let out a cry, "No!" he yelled out. He couldn't believe that Taylor had died. Taylor was so strong. He remembered how Chad had confided in Troy about how on Valentine's Day, after the dance, Chad was going to propose to Taylor. He had even bought Taylor a ring and everything. It was a small diamond ring with two rubies on either side. He saw it on in November at a jewelry store. Chad had used up all his savings to buy her the ring. He had placed the ring on hold for the longest time until he had enough to buy it. Chad had bought it with Troy after basketball practice one day. Troy remembered Chad making Troy promise not to tell anyone, especially Gabriella, about Chad buying Taylor a ring. Troy promised him and never told a soul about it. Chad had said that he wanted to get married to Taylor that summer, but Troy now new that that would never happen. Chad wouldn't ever be able to marry Taylor. She was dead.

Suddenly the doctor came in and interrupted everyone's thoughts. "I'm sorry everyone, but Mr. Bolton needs his rest. You can see him in the morning," Dr. Norman said.

"Taylor's funeral is tomorrow, Troy. We'll come by after to see you," Cara told her only son sadly. "I love you," she said as she kissed his forehead. Everyone followed suit, but Gabriella held back. She wanted to talk to him. After everyone, including Dr. Norman, left she went to his side.

"Troy," she said to him softly as she laced her fingers through his.

"Gabriella, I'm so sorry you had to go through this alone. If I had known, I would have fought harder to get back to you. I'm so sorry, honey."

"Troy," she said again soothingly. "I love you so much. It's all right. I've had Sharpay there, and…. Chad to help me."

Troy looked up at Gabriella surprised. "Chad?" he asked her. She nodded and smiled. He just looked at her softly. He thought of how great she was. She comforted his best friend, even though she didn't like him. He loved her so much at that moment.

"I had the feeling when you were recalling what you remembered last," she paused looking into his deep blue eyes. "I had the feeling that you needed to tell me something."

Troy gave her a stiff nod, "The last thing I remember, was seeing you. You were in the ground, and I was on top of you. You looked so beautiful. I thought at first that…" he trailed off for a second and then finished, "I thought that it was our wedding night at first," he whispered.

Just then a nurse came in and gave Gabriella a look. Gabriella quickly got up, grabbed her crutches and kissed Troy good-bye. "I love you so much Troy, and I promise, that we will get married. I promise you." She left the room silently and met her mom outside. They went home in silence.

When Gabriella got home she went straight to bed without going into the bathroom to wash her face or brush her teeth. She didn't even bother to change into her PJ bottoms. Gabriella just went into a deep sleep. She blissfully dreamt of the day that she and Troy would say 'I do.'

A/N: I'm sorry. I said that this chapter would be the funeral, but it just evolved into something different. I hope all you Troy fans are happy that I didn't kill off Troy. He's just that good looking, I know. Anyway, review please!


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Hey all. I'm supposed to give a shout-out to my cousin, Jackie, so…um…yeah. Here's your shout-out. I hope you're happy! I'll dedicate this chapter to you! LOL. Anywho…I know all you Troy fans were very happy that I didn't kill him off, and that I had him wake up. To be honest, and I know that Jackie knows, I am more of a Corbin Bleu person than a Zac Effron person. Jackie thinks I'm crazy and I'm sure half of ya'll do too, but anyway…my babbling is done. If all my readers are like me, than I know that they just skip the A/N and just go straight to the story. I call those people, people who don't dilly-dally around (lol, my grandma's saying). ANYWAY, here's the story.

Chapter 13

Gabriella slowly woke up that Wednesday morning. She felt so at peace. Light was streaming in from her balcony window. Gabriella suddenly bolted up from her bed. She had forgotten to set her alarm clock the night before, so she had slept in. She quickly glanced at the clock.

"9:54!" she screamed at the clock as if somehow it was wrong. She wanted to see Troy that morning before the funeral, but now there was no time. She told her mother that she wanted to see him, but she must have forgotten.

"Ugh!" she cried as she limped to her near-by bathroom, quickly undressed, put on her plastic cast protector for when she got wet, and she showered. After taking a ten-minute shower, she limped to her sink and applied some waterproof mascara and some foundation to her face. She then put smoothing gel in her hair, and dried it quickly. She half limped, half ran out of the bathroom, and started searching her closet for her black skirt and white blouse that she had picked out for the funeral. She was so flustered that she put her skirt on backwards. When Gabriella finished dressing she quickly maneuvered herself using her crutches and the guardrail downstairs to find her mom.

"Mom?" she yelled while coming down the stairs. She wasn't in the kitchen. Gabriella bellowed again down her basement. No answer. Where was her mom? She slammed her arms down on the counter in frustration. _Where on earth could Mom be on the day that I'll need her most?_ Gabriella asked herself in frustration. She quickly grabbed the portable phone from its dock and pounded the numbers to dial her mom's cell number. The voice mail picked up and Gabriella practically slammed the phone back into its dock furiously. She started to cry in frustration. She needed her mother.

Just then the phone rang. God had sent a miracle to her, she thought as she pounced on the phone. "Mami?" she exclaimed into the phone.

"No, Gabriella. It's me, Ryan," she heard a voice say into the phone.

Gabriella sighed in disappointment. "Hi, Ryan," she said politely.

"Hey, your mom called me and asked me to pick you up for the funeral. She said that she'd be a little late coming to it."

Gabriella was annoyed, "Ryan, why'd she call you. Why couldn't she just tell me to drive myself?"

"Gabriella, I don't know why she asked me. She must not want you driving after all this. And besides, you have a broken leg, remember?"

"Ryan, it's my left leg. Who uses their left leg to drive?"

"Gabriella, I don't know. Just go with the flow, and respect your mom's wishes. I'm on my way now. Are you ready?"

"Yes," she flatly responded.

"Good, I'll be there in about 5 minutes." Ryan hung up. Gabriella pounded the phone back into the dock and sighed. Why couldn't her mom trust her?

True to his word, Ryan was there in about 5 minutes with Sharpay and her parents with him. Gabriella opened the door before Ryan could even reach the door. She quickly maunervered herself with her crutches outside and locked the door behind her.

It took about 15 minutes to get to the First Christian Church of the Nazarene. The parking lot wasn't very full, because the service wouldn't start for another half hour.

Gabriella carefully got out of the car and helped Sharpay get out also. Her father quickly ran to the trunk and grabbed her folded up wheelchair. He and Ryan lifted her up and carried her to the seat. Gabriella noticed that the chair was customized. _Typical Sharpay_, she thought to herself with a light chuckle.

The church was quite big, much to her surprise. Her small, Catholic parish wasn't too big because she lived in the richer neighborhood. Most Catholic New Mexicans were poorer because they had emigrated here from Mexico. Her church was nice, but it could only seat about 150 people at a time. She was sure that Taylor's church could easily seat about 900 people.

They looked around the small gathering area and saw Taylor's mom helping to set up posters filled with pictures of Taylor. Gabriella had noticed a few of the same ones at the service last night, but she didn't pay too much attention to them. Grasping her crutches tightly, Gabriella went over to one of the posters. There was a giant picture of Taylor in the middle. That was the picture she took for homecoming. She saw two smaller pictures of Taylor and Chad together. Chad had his arm wrapped around her middle and smiling a cheesy smile in the goofy picture, while Taylor stuck her tounge out sideways while she matted down Chad's afro. Gabriella chuckled at that. She hadn't seen that picture before. She then looked at the non-goofy homecoming picture. Chad was standing up straight and had his arm around Taylor's waist tenderly while Taylor grinned blissfully at the camera. She moved on to other pictures. A few of them brought back a lot of memories, but a lot of them were when she was younger. There was the classic picture of Taylor falling asleep in her highchair to Taylor's senior picture. She cried softly, as she finished looking at the last poster. Taylor's mom had appeared and rubbed Gabriella's back soothingly Gabriella turned around and smiled at her best friend's mother. She was being so strong through out this whole ordeal.

Mrs. McKessie smiled back at Gabriella and then said, "Gabriella, I never got the chance yesterday to talk to you about what you said at the service."

Gabriella quickly started, "Mrs. McKessie, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to upset you, but it was the truth and…" she trailed off when Mrs. McKessie held up her hand to signal Gabriella to stop talking.

"Gabriella, I wanted to thank you for what you said. You opened my, and Frank's, eyes to everyone else's feelings. Frank and I no longer blame Chad for what happened, and we have called and apologized to him for Frank's behavior at the service, he will be coming today. Sharpay told me that Chad got distracted by Taylor, and lost control. The police told me that Chad wasn't speeding either, and he isn't going to be charged with recluse driving. I now understand that it was truly an accident."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have forced this on you like that, especially after all that has happened," she said as she looked down to her shoes.

"Gabriella, you have nothing to be sorry for. Frank and I are not the only person who lost someone that we loved terribly. You lost your best friend, and even more, Troy is in a coma---

"Mrs. McKessie, Troy woke up last night! You didn't know?" Gabriella said excitedly.

"No, I didn't! This is great news sweetie," Mrs. McKessie said as she squeezed Gabriella. Gabriella smiled and gave her a small squeeze also.

Mrs. McKessie and Gabriella broke apart and started to look at the posters. Mrs. McKessie would pause and point out pictures that she remembered taking of Taylor. Suddenly when she got to the picture of her and Taylor when she was born, Mrs. McKessie broke down. She started sobbing into her hands. Gabriella could faintly hear her mumble in anguish, "My…baby….dead!" Gabriella gave her a warm hug and patted her back soothingly. It was weird because she was now doing the same thing to Mrs. McKessie, that she did to Gabriella.

When she dried her tears, Mrs. McKessie looked up and then said, "Gabriella, I hope this isn't too much to ask but," she paused and tried to catch her breath. "Would you mind sitting with me and Frank in the front of the church. I hate to ask you to abandon your mom, but we just don't want to be alone. Taylor was our only child. She was our baby. We have nobody. Would you mind terribly? You were so important to Taylor; you are our last contact to our daughter."

Gabriella wasn't sure how she could refuse. She just simply smiled and said, "Mrs. McKessie, I would love to sit with you. My mother isn't here. She will be coming late so I would be alone for part of the service, and I don't want to be alone. Thank you so much for asking me," she gave her another squeeze and they went into the church together.

Soon, the church filled up completely. Gabriella noticed that some of the ushers even had to put up extra seats in the gathering area. Gabriella looked around for her mother but didn't see her. Soon, it was time for the family to leave and process in with the casket. Mr. and Mrs. McKessie insisted that Gabriella walk up with them behind the coffin. Gabriella felt very awkward, because of all the people staring at her. Even though she preformed in almost every winter musical, she felt more awkward than at any of those performances. Mr. McKessie bowed his head and solomely walked behind the casket slowly. Gabriella was standing in between Taylor's parents. Mrs. McKessie latched onto Gabriella as she processed up. Taylor had a small family so the procession was over with soon. While she was walking up, Gabriella didn't see her mother anywhere. _Where was she_, she thought to herself as she sat down.

The service progressed slowly. The minister preached about God's word and about Taylor's life. Somehow he would always tie Taylor in when he started preaching, which Gabriella thought would be kind of difficult. People were crying at every point of the service. When the minister started talking about how Taylor died, Gabriella cried out loudly. Everyone stared at her. Gabriella quickly covered her gasping mouth and muffled her tears. Up until then, Gabriella hadn't cried, but suddenly she couldn't stop. The minister continued, unfazed by Gabriella's reaction.

"Taylor sat in the front seat of the car. She was having a small disagreement with her boyfriend who lost focus and he crashed the car into a ditch. God had safely carried Taylor away to a better place at that point. She must have been welcomed into the gates of heaven and greeted by an angel of the Lord. She is now in paradise and looking down at her earthy family. We must all remember that she is with her true spiritual family now."

Gabriella had heard a slight noise during the minister's speech, but she didn't bother to look. She was too busy crying. Mrs. McKessie was holding her and stroking her hair gently. The rest of the service seemed to be a blur. Gabriella's mind ventured away to the accident. She remembered waking up on the cold dirt. Seeing the car, and realizing that Troy was on top of her, unconscious.

Soon, the service was over and the pallbearers, Jason, Zeke, Taylor's 2 cousins, and surprisingly Chad, carried Taylor's casket out. Gabriella hadn't noticed Chad before the service or during it, but she watched him pick up the casket carefully. He was wearing a simple black suit with a light blue shirt and tie on, and his hair was slightly trimmed.

The pallbearers processed out followed by the family members. Gabriella kept her head respectfully bowed as she walked past all the people, but something caught her eye so she looked up slightly. There, in the very back was a young man. He was wearing a black suit and was looking straight at Gabriella. He was in a wheelchair. Gabriella blinked and looked more closely at him. It was Troy.

**A/N: I hope you are happy, Jackie. GOSH! I didn't write this tomorrow, but I wrote it tonight. I wrote lousy, just because it's dedicated to you. Ha-ha, I'm just kidding you!**


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Hello everyone. This is the last chapter. I have decided after writing this chapter that pretty much all the ends are tied and everything seems complete. Thanks for all the reviews on every single chapter. I'd like to thank all the dedicated readers who have been with me since the first chapter (I sound like I just won an award!). I am planning on writing another HSM story soon, so if you like my writing, than you might just check up with me now and again to see if I have the story finished. I am trying something new this time, and I'm going to write the whole story before hand so I won't be keeping the readers waiting forever. Here's the final chapter of "How Could This Happen to Me."

Chapter 14

Recap: Gabriella kept her head respectfully bowed as she processed past all the people, but something caught her eye so she looked up slightly. There, in the very back was a young man. He was wearing a black suit and was looking straight at Gabriella. He was in a wheelchair. Gabriella blinked and looked more closely at him. It was Troy.

Gabriella stopped dead. She couldn't believe that Troy was there. Mrs. McKessie saw him and squeezed Gabriella's shoulder. She didn't want to stop the procession, so she kept moving her crutches until she got to the back. She gave Mr. and Mrs. McKessie a smile and went towards Troy, who was in the corner with his parents and Gabriella's mom. Gabriella realized where her mother had been the whole time. She was at the hospital getting Troy ready. Gabriella was so grateful. She dropped her crutches and wrapped her arms around Troy's neck. He embraced her and kissed her cheek. Gabriella then got up and grabbed her crutches from her mom, who had picked them up from off the ground. They then followed the procession and proceeded out into the gathering area, and then out the door. Troy wheeled himself the entire time. Gabriella knew how independent he could be.

They watched together in silence as Taylor's casket was loaded into the back of the hearse. Troy had his arm around Gabriella's middle, and with his other arm, he tenderly stroked her hand as she cried. He couldn't believe that this was happening. He watched Chad lift the casket into the back of the hearse and close the door. He held the handle with his unbroken arm (his right arm) for a while, looking as if he wasn't sure if he should let go of it. He finally did and turned away. He caught a glimpse of Troy and Gabriella, so he walked over towards them.

"Hey, man," Troy held out his right hand to Chad as he neared them. Chad took it and gave him a slight embrace.

"How ya feeling?" Chad asked his friend solemnly. Troy just shook his head 'yes' and gave him a small smile.

Chad returned it and said, "Troy, I'm sorry about all this, I really am."

Troy gave him a confused look, "Chad, you have nothing to be sorry for. You didn't plan for this to happen. It's not like you wanted me to be in a coma or Sharpay to be paralyzed, and I know for a fact that you didn't want Taylor to die. You loved her."

Chad looked down. He didn't know what to say. _How can Troy be so forgiving?_ He asked himself awe-stricken.

"We better get going. I'll see you at the cemetery, okay?" Troy said to Chad.

"Yeah, alright," Chad responded. He nodded at Troy's parents and Ms. Montez and gave a weak smile to Gabriella. He then turned and left.

Troy's mom then said that they would have to get going also. Gabriella went with Troy because she didn't want to be away from him. Jack and Cara helped Troy out of his wheelchair and into their small car. Gabriella then slid next to Troy in the backseat and they rode together in silence for the rest of the way. Gabriella couldn't help but remember the last time that she and Troy rode together in the backseat. Troy realized her anxiety because she was quivering, so he slid his arm around her shoulders and held her.

Soon they got to the cemetery. Mrs. Bolton insisted that Troy was to stay in his wheelchair, so he reluctantly got into it and wheeled himself towards the place where Taylor was to be buried.

The same minister who was at the church continued his droning about God's loving grace and tying in Taylor into every few sentences. He finally concluded by blessing the burial place and saying a prayer. Mr. and Mrs. McKessie got up and said their final goodbyes to their daughter by placing a small item that they remembered her by on her coffin. Soon the rest of their small family said their goodbyes. Than, the students who came to the funeral, each came up, one by one, and said their goodbyes. Many placed a single, long stemmed flower on her coffin as they passed by. Troy abandoned his wheelchair, much to his mother's disapproval and went with Gabriella to get into line. Chad followed them and stood by them in line. Sharpay was a few persons ahead, so when she caught sight of the trio, she turned around her wheelchair and wheeled herself back to them so she could wait in line with them.

As they were waiting in line, Sharpay turned in her wheelchair towards Chad and whispered, "Chad, I'm sorry for treating you the way I did. I want to let you know that it might take some time for me to heal. But you need to know that I'm going to try my best to come to terms with everything."

Chad just nodded and said, "You have every right to be mad at me. I didn't expect you to forgive me all at once, so I understand."

They all were silent for the rest of the wait, until they got up to the casket to say goodbye. Since they didn't have any flowers to put on the casket, they just stood there, holding up the line. Gabriella couldn't make out the words to say goodbye. Instead she clung onto Troy and cried. She finally whispered a final, "Goodbye." She then turned and maneuvered herself towards her mother. Troy followed slowly. Cara noticed that he was looking pale so she wanted to take him home. Gabriella wanted to leave also, so they said their goodbyes to the McKessies and left Taylor's burial place. _We didn't even stick around to see Taylor being lowered into the ground,_ Gabriella thought to herself miserably as she neared her mom's SUV. _We sure are rotten friends._

Before Gabriella got into the SUV, she slowly turned to get a last glimpse of the service. Chad was standing by Taylor's coffin with his eyes fixed on the polished closed casket. She then saw Chad reach into his left pocket and pulled out something small. Gabriella wasn't sure what it was so she tried to get a better look by coming closer. The small object caught the sun, and she realized that it was a ring. She watched Chad hold it in his hand and staring at it meaningfully. He then tenderly held it out and slowly placed it on top of Taylor's coffin. Gabriella realized she was holding her breath so she slowly exhaled. She now knew that Taylor could finally rest in peace now that everyone was at peace with himself or herself.

A/N: That's it. That's the end. I might just write a sequel if I am persuaded to, but I'm not planning on it. Right now, I'm going to write another story, but if I am begged and pleaded to, I just might.


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